The Holy Spirit, Regeneration, and
Sanctification
One of the most confusing topics in
theology is the operation and work of the Spirit. This is a detailed
overview of the work of the Spirit in the believer from beginning to
end, and details the OT as well as the NT work of the Spirit.
The
Holy Spirit, Regeneration, and Sanctification
by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
(Taken
in outline form from J. Buchanan's "The Office and Work of the Holy
Spirit)
The
Spirit’s Work in the Conversion of Sinners
God, entering into a covenant with fallen man, engaged Himself to
redeem a chosen people unto holiness.
Christ, the Mediator of this covenant between God and man, sits
at the right hand of the Father in heaven in order to send forth His
Holy Spirit to these fallen men, and to birth them into a living hope.
Such a birth is “from above” (John 3:3), and the direct
result of the intervention of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of
wicked sinners. A spiritual
change must take place in order for the sinner to come to faith, and to
believe on the work and power of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God is the author of this spiritual change. This spiritual change is wrought by spiritual means employed
by the Holy Spirit. Just as
there is a remarkable event in conception and birth of a human being, so
even to a greater degree there is a spiritual “event” of sorts that
parallels birth, but into the realm of the Kingdom of God’s beloved
Son. This is the
liberation, or emancipation of the soul from spiritual bondage and
death.
Regeneration is the term used for this spiritual change wrought
upon the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit sent forth from
Christ’s throne. It is absolutely necessary that regeneration takes place in
order for a man to be released from his fallen and depraved state to the
Kingdom of God. Christ, in
John 3, rests upon the reality that man is so depraved and fallen that
his spiritual birth must take place first before he ever perceives or
understands of the spiritual realities of the kingdom of heaven (John
3:3, 5). In this way, the
Spirit’s work is crucially important in delivering and changing the
heart of these men so that they may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and
be saved. This event, that
spiritual change, is impossible with men, but possible with God.
Without a manifestly true change on the mind of the person by
God, they cannot believe, nor experience any deep significant trust on
Christ. No unregenerate
man, then, can see the kingdom of God unless God wills he should see it
and converts him to be able to see it.
From all this, it is manifest that redemption itself proceeds on
the principle that God must allow admission to His kingdom first, and to
apply a spiritual principle that quickens the soul to life.
The work of the Spirit of God is, in its own place, as needful
and important as the work of Christ Himself.
Christ said in John 16:7, “Nevertheless I tell you the
truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away,
the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to
you.” Jesus Christ
dispensed the Spirit of God only after His ascension and enthronement.
This certainly does not mean that God never dispensed the Spirit
at any other time, but rather, it does prove, quite conclusively, that
the special sending of the Messiah in His place would be something that
had never happened before. Christ would, from the throne of God, send the Spirit to take
the place of His corporeal presence for a time until His next return.
The Spirit, then, is the agent by which the work of God is
completed and accomplished on earth in this interim time.
Jesus said, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you;
but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from
on high (Luke 24:49)." Also,
in Acts 1:8, Jesus states, “But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Such a power was the direct affect of Christ’s kingly
enthronement and subsequent order of the redemptive plan.
This is the very reason why John records, “But this He spoke
concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for
the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified
(John 7:39).” Not that
the Spirit was not present or working, but that He was not dispensed by
the enthroned Messiah; for Christ had not died, been buried, been raised
from the dead, and seated at the right hand of God.
The design of the Spirit’s
work is found in John 16:8-11. Here Christ teaches, “And when He has come, He will convict
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because
they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father
and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is
judged.” The Spirit is to
do this by shedding abroad the gift of His work in the hearts of men
convincing them of the truth of Jesus Christ and His work.
He principally does this through the Word of God and through the
preaching of the Word of God (and this was the reason the Apostles were
to wait for the power of the Spirit to accomplish this at Pentecost).
What is the process by which a sinner is converted and changed?
The Bible explains that the origin of salvation is planned by the
love of the Father (Eph. 1:3-10), and its ultimate issue is declared to
be the “salvation of His people,” or “their obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Between
these two points, though, there is the work of the Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 says that, “because God from the beginning
chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief
in the truth” men are saved. Without
the Spirit of God, the work of Christ Himself would have been in vain.
Through belief in the truth, the Spirit of God sanctifies men
unto God. Such an act is
seen in cases with Lydia at the preaching of the Apostle Paul, “Now a
certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the
city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed
the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14).”
The first part of the Spirit’s work is to convince a sinner of
His misery. John 16:8 says,
as noted already, that the Spirit, “when He has come, He will convict
the world of sin.” Though
the Spirit convicts men of not just one sin, but their state as a sinner
before Him, this is not enough to transform the soul.
Conviction (such as with Esau and Cain) is not enough unless one
is born from above, and repentance and faith all accompany such a work.
However, in conviction, the work of the Spirit in pressing men to
view themselves as sinners is accomplished in light of the Law of God
and the character of God as a Holy being.
As Paul says, “I was alive once without the law, but when the
commandment came, sin revived and I died.
And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring
death (Romans 7:9-10).” After
this, the Spirit presses the sinner to look to Christ alone who can save
the soul through His death and resurrection.
In this way, the Spirit of God brings a sinner to feel and
understand his need of a Savior.
After the Spirit has convinced
a man of his sin and misery, He next enlightens his mind in the
knowledge of Christ. Here
the Spirit teaches him the person, character, offices, and the work of
Jesus Christ. As Paul says,
“But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by
faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe (Galatians
3:22).”
It may be said and commented that even though there is a
conviction of sin, and that men are made enlightened to the reality of
the person, office and work of Christ, that they may not be saved.
Felix trembled before Paul, and many were made partakers of the
Holy Spirit and of the blessings of the age to come as recorded in
Hebrew 6, but these were, in fact, still lost (Acts 24:25; Hebrews
6:1-8).
The illuminating work of the
Holy Spirit may be said to be the groundwork of all His other
operations. It is through
the truth (which must be known and believed) that the
Spirit fulfills all the functions of His office in the minds of men. By enlightening the mind, He lays the groundwork for the
conviction of conscience. He
is the enlightener of God’s people, and imparts spiritual illumination
to their minds. This
obviously implies a previous state of spiritual deadness and darkness,
which is the natural state of all men.
1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man does not receive
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
This darkness is universal to all men born as progeny of Adam.
This darkness is not just the absence of light, but also a
blindness of mind. When men
are converted, the veil of darkness is taken away (1 Cor. 3:14-16) and
the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ shines upon their minds (2
Cor. 4:3-4).
As the “enlightener of the
soul”, the Holy Spirit is the revealer of truth, and the Author of the
Scriptures which are used as the instrument of His work.
The efficacy of the Word depends completely on the work of the
Spirit, and His gracious actions upon men.
He seeks to enlighten, quicken and invigorate by the light of the
Word of God. The subject of
these operations is the conscience.
This moral faculty is arrested by divine truth to the reality of
its sinful state and need of saving grace.
This is the direct operation of the Spirit’s use of the law.
The law is the schoolmaster that brings the sinner to Christ
(Gal. 3:24). Sin, then,
becomes vile in the mind of the enlightened conscience.
The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin, that we have done this
or that; of the fault of sin, that we have done ill doing on account of
sin; of the folly of sin, that we have acted against reason and our true
interest; of the filth of sin, that by it we become odious to God; of
the fountain of sin, the corrupt nature; and lastly of the fruit of sin,
that its end is death.
Those who are currently under the conviction of sin would do well
to remember the following: 1) beware how you deal with your convictions
and remember that you are responsible to God for the treatment of them. 2) Instead of stifling your convictions and suppressing them,
rather try to find out the evils of your conscience, and of your nature
in particular. 3) Since you
have a sight and sense of sin, you should endeavor to find out its
consequences according to God’s law.
4) Be very aware of false security and false grounds that you may
have a self-confidence in. 5)
Be sure to reject sins that are peculiarly tempting and resist them.
6) Acquaint yourself with the complete remedy that can be found
in Jesus Christ and the Gospel for the misery that you are in, instead
of attempting to cover up certain aspects of sin and never dealing with
the root cause of the heart problem.
7) You should strive to close with Christ as soon as possible
having a true interest in the Gospel.
8) If you are convicted of sin and wickedness, and have a true
sense of repentance being worked into your heart by the Holy Spirit, you
should turn to the language of repentance - prayer – and confess your
sin and need of grace before Christ.
When dealing with the work of
the Spirit, there is also a preparatory work that He may do upon the
soul of an individual in the work of conviction and instruction before
He changes their heart. Extent,
duration and the result of such work differ in degrees between men, for
they are constitutionally different in makeup.
There is a preparation of mind that takes place, to set the mind
in a proper frame before conversion.
Such a work, as John Owen says, is preparing, preventing,
working, co-working and confirming the Gospel in the one engaged by the
Holy Spirit. That which fights against such preparation is deemed
unbelief, carnal security, rebellion, and the world’s basic
disposition of enmity fighting against God.
Conversion is not a partial work on any one part of the human
faculty, but a change in every faculty and the whole man – a new
creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states clearly, “Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.” However,
this change does not immediately perfect the sinner as if they have no
further sanctification to endure. Rather,
it places them in opposition to the life they once lived and have been
translated from one life to another; from one kingdom to another.
Colossians 1:13 describes this translation, “He has delivered
us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the
Son of His love.”
Conversion rightly consists in a sinner being brought
intelligently (not by blind faith) to some knowledge of God’s truth
imparted to the mind, which in turn grants understanding.
Here the sinner affirms what he understands by assent and then at
the final end of conversion he engages in real trust.
There has to be an actual, intentional closing with Christ and
His benefits. He must
believe that Jesus is the Christ. He
must believe his sin condemns him by God’s law and he is in eminent
danger of eternal ruin. He
must believe he has been made willing to come to Christ, and that in
this willingness he desires to heed the teachings and commandments of
God as stated in the Word of God. Faith is a principle instrument in bringing men from darkness
into light. 1 John 5:1
says, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of
Him.” Real spiritual faith is needed, not dead faith (James 2:17).
Sinners are made willing to come to Christ.
Every sinner’s heart is resistant to the truth.
In this way they “resist the Spirit” as Stephen said, “You
stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the
Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you (Acts 7:51).”
This does not mean that the sinner can overpower the work of the
Spirit, but that the outward preaching of the Gospel is always and
continually resisted by the sinner’s depraved and wicked heart.
However, once the Spirit determines to change a sinner’s heart,
that heart will be changed by sovereign grace.
The sinner is made willing to close with Christ by the Gospel
call by the power of the Spirit and His effectual calling and change of
the sinner’s heart. Ezekiel 36:26 is plain on this point, “I will give you a
new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of
stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
This is obviously far more than a moral change or an amendment of
life. It is a
transformation of the whole faculty of the sinner into holiness.
The result of the Spirit’s
work on an individual sinner is the creation of a new being or state of
relationship. 2 Corinthians
5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
When a sinner is saved by the work of the Holy Spirit he is then
united to Christ, as the Scripture says, “For if we have been united
together in the likeness of His death (Romans 6:5).”
This union with the Lord Jesus Christ is the life-giving power
and sustenance of a sinner. The
sinner receives life through the spiritual Head of the church being
attached to the organic vine. Christ
explains this union and its benefits in John 15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me. 5 "I
am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
This new creature has acquired new life, a new view of himself,
new affections for the things of God, new views of the world around him,
and new spiritual insight that he did not possess before.
His desires and aims are entirely new, and he now has the desire
to continue the communion he has with God, and to acquire larger views
of His perfections. He says
with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm
42:2).” He has new
enjoyment, new habits, new experiences with the world, and a new
conflict in his soul in which he fights with the world, his flesh, and
the devil against sin. You
may ask yourself, “Am I in Christ?”
It may be more helpful to ask, “Am I a new creature?”
In probing the doctrine of regeneration, it is inevitable that we
come upon the subject of the regeneration of infants.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Belgic Confession,
the Heidelberg Catechism, and the French Confession all state
that children are included in the Covenant of Grace and can be saved and
regenerated by God. The
reason this question is brought to light is that men are justified by
faith alone and infants are incapable of faith in this regard.
Can they, then, be saved? The
Scriptures state that there is no other name under heaven by which men
must be saved. Can these
infants be saved by that name when they never hear that name and may die
young in infancy? It is
true that children, however young, even infants in their mother’s
arms, are fit and capable subjects of divine grace.
God is a God of families and generations that has enacted a
Covenant revolving around federal headship that immediately includes the
children of a given covenant family.
For example, Jesus Christ deals with children in Luke 18:15-16,
“Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but
when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little
children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom
of God.” Jesus says that
these children are of such, or belong to this Kingdom.
The Gospel of Mark adds, “And He took them up in His arms, put
His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16).”
By Jesus’ action of taking up and blessing them demonstrates
they are fit subjects for grace, as well as the reality that the
imposition of hands on a given individual was the usual sign by which
the communication of the Spirit was shadowed forth.
Instances of the Spirit’s work on children and infants abound. Jesus Christ was formed in the womb of Mary by the Spirit
(Luke 1:35), and in the case of Jeremiah God says, “Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I
ordained you a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5)."
John the Baptist was “filled with the Spirit” even from his
mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Covenant
children, then, should be admitted to baptism (as the confession state
mirroring the biblical warrant of infant inclusion in the covenant), and
are fit and capable of being divinely regenerated by the Spirit of God.
The work of the Spirit in regeneration on infants should not be
confused with baptismal regeneration, which is a Roman invention. The Westminster Confession of Faith is helpful on this
subject. Children are not
baptized in order to acquire an interest in the covenant, rather, they
have an interest in the covenant already because of the nature of the
covenant and then are baptized as a result.
Abraham, for example, had an interest in the covenant first, and
then circumcision was added as a sign and seal of his interest in it.
The point of interest for the children lies in the covenant
promise “I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee
(Genesis 17:7).” Children
in this regard are baptized with the New Testament covenant sign as a
sign and seal of their engrafting into Christ – or regeneration,
remission of sins, and of their engagement to be the Lord’s.
One should not confuse the Westminster Confession of Faith’s
teaching that not all who are baptized may be regenerate.
It carefully guards against this language without diminishing the
reality of the conferred grace in the sacrament.
It also guards against the Roman Catholic doctrine of ex opere
operato, of communicating saving grace in the rite itself with no
regard to parent or child at all, but inherent in the power of the
priest’s work in administering the rite.
Part
2: The Spirit’s Work in the Conversion of Sinners
The
example of the Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:19-34):
After
reading the narrative the reader will notice the three stages, first, as
a careless sinner, then as a convinced sinner, and then a converted man. There are two points to remember in terms of his careless
estate. First, he
imprisoned the Lord’s servants for preaching the word of God, and
second, he was ready to thrust himself on his own sword and kill himself
(this demonstrated his practical atheism).
He then went from being a careless sinner, to a convinced sinner
in that he fell to his knees before Paul and Silas and asked, “What
must I do to be saved?” This demonstrates a change in his nature from the practical
atheist to the convicted heart of one who needed God’s mercy.
At this point he was convinced of the danger of eternal
damnation, but not converted. He
did not ask, “How can I be saved?” but rather, “What can I do to
be saved?” Every natural
mind thinks it can “do” something to be saved.
Paul then had to explain the way of salvation on how one is
saved. Believing on the
Lord Jesus was the requisite but the jailor would not be able to attain
this unless he understood what he believed in.
The
means by which the jailor was converted was the Gospel of Jesus Christ
demonstrating the truth of Christ’s work in his death and
resurrection. Paul and Silas went back home with the jailor and explained
the way of salvation to the entire household.
The substance of this is not recorded.
They exhorted him in the simple statement they made in the
jailhouse to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
This would focus on the truth of His person.
They said, “you shall be saved,” which is a personal faith
that must be excited. This
Gospel was the suitable agent and explanation that Paul and Silas
explained to the entire household.
He rejoiced and his entire house was baptized under his solemn
admission to federal headship over them.
After all this instruction, he demonstrated a real, simple and
scriptural faith.
We
learn from all this that men in their unconverted state are careless.
While they are careless, God is pleased to make some solemn and
awakening dispensation of providence to arouse them to see their need of
Christ and the utter depravity. Such
a work of conviction is wrought in the conscience by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and then they are enlightened to the truth.
Through this the Spirit changes their heart, and they are
converted. The Gospel,
then, is the only effectual instrument designated to convert a sinner,
and its power lies in the manner in which the Holy Spirit uses it for
the benefit of the elect.
The
example of the Dying Malefactor (Luke 23:32-43):
In this example, a thief was converted in a most precarious
position – hanging on the cross next to Jesus Christ.
We do not know anything about this man’s religious background,
or what may have transpired before he was caught as a thief.
It could have been that he heard some of Christ’s teaching
while picking pockets, or learned about the Teacher from Nazareth while
at a dinner party. In any
case, the Scripture is silent on what he may have known about religion.
The dying thief was a man whose crimes exposed him to the highest
penalty of death under the Roman system.
This man, though, was so vile, that even while he was hanging
there with his “friend”, these two thieves reviled the Lord and made
His crucifixion that much more serious and painful.
After a time of reviling we read that this thief began to have a
change of heart. He says to
his other friend who did not experience this change, "Do you not
even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation (Luke
23:40)?” The thief went
from reviling to defending Christ.
He acknowledges that his punishment is justly deserved, but that
Christ had done nothing wrong. What
made this change in him? In
order to answer this, we must retrace the thief’s steps.
What could the thief have known about Christ since he was
condemned with him and they were all sentenced to be crucified together?
The thief surely would have heard Pilate’s pronunciation before
the crowd that Christ was found innocent before him (Luke 23:27). This is directly related to the thief’s words that they
deserved to be crucified but Christ had done nothing to deserve this.
He would have been a witness to Christ’s prayer, that those
crucifying him should be forgiven. What if the thief thought about the character and humility of
Christ? Christ could not be
any sort of common sufferer. There
had to be something more here. He
would have also heard the enemies of the Savior speaking about the
Savior at the foot of the cross. “He
saved others…” he would have heard. “Let him save himself if he is
the chosen of God” he would have heard.
“If you are king of the Jews save yourself and us” he would
have heard. This no doubt
the thief recalled when he said to Christ, “Remember me when you come
into your kingdom.” He
believed, by faith, that Jesus was the Christ, and the King, able to
save sinners, as He had saved others before.
He, in the manner of prayer, asked Christ o “remember him,”
and he had the fear of God as exemplified by his statement to the other
thief – “Do you not fear God?”
After all of this, Christ then acknowledges this sinner’s
conversion and says, “I tell you the truth, today you shall be with me
in paradise.” At
conversion, then, the sinner receives all the rights and privileges of
adopted sons of God, just as this thief on the cross.
The
example of Paul (Acts 9:1-22):
The Apostle Paul’s conversion is probably the greatest record
of a conversion in the Bible. In
respect to his pre-conversion state of mind on religious matters, he was
a Jew of Jews and a Pharisee of Pharisees (Acts 26:4).
He was more zealous for the law than any of his fathers
(Galatians 1:14), and in touching the law, he says he was blameless
(Philippians 3:4). In
respect to his views of Christ and the Church, he was not only an
unbeliever, but also a violent persecutor of the Christian Church.
He desired to exterminate the following of Jesus Christ.
He was happy to consent to the death of Stephen when the Jews
stoned him to death for standing up for the Lord Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the Scriptures tell us that Saul of Tarsus was
wreaking havoc on the church. He
had violent affections against the truth of the Gospel and desired to
see the church exterminated from the face of the earth.
Saul’s conversion was a result of the truth of Jesus Christ by
the vision and the voice of the Savior.
It was aided by a demonstration of the power of the spirit when
he least expected it. When
Saul was arrested by the Christ on the road to Damascus, no doubt, he
unmistakably understood who he was dealing with.
This was “the Lord.” Christ
questions him as to why he is persecuting the church.
Saul simply asks what he should do.
There is no great dialogue, or systematic theology presented to
him. Rather, from what he
already knew about Christ, in an instantaneous moment such truths were
made alive to him and the practical application of those truths as well.
Paul would have, at this point, though that this Jesus must have
risen from the dead, is sitting at the right hand of God, and that he
could not fight God. Later,
he was further instructed by Ananias (verse 6), and this Ananias would
tell him what he ought to do. No
doubt further instruction was given.
The Spirit of God then took that information, as well as what he
already knew of the Old Testament and caused Paul to process it and he
was converted. His whole
conversion hinged on his belief that Jesus was the Christ.
As Paul says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).”
The
example of the Ethiopian Treasurer (Acts 8:26-40):
The
Ethiopian Treasurer demonstrates the example of how an ignorant, but
sincere and devout inquirer, can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ. There are many
things which could have hindered him from coming to faith; his homeland
– which was miles away from the truth of the Gospel which was just
beginning to spread in Jerusalem; his wealth – for it is hard for rich
men to enter the kingdom of heaven; and rank and influence – he was an
attendant to the Ethiopian Queen Candace.
Can this Ethiopian change his skin?
Although he was ignorant in the things of God, by his devout
attitude to the Scriptures and his travels to the Jewish synagogue, we
find he is a proselyte to the Jewish faith, and he had come to Jerusalem
to worship. The narrative
tells us he was reading Isaiah which shows his diligent inquiry to gain
a true knowledge of faith from the Old Testament Scriptures. However, we know he had not yet acquired the truth about
Jesus. Philip was sent to
him to explain the passage he was reading, which was the 53rd
chapter of the book of Isaiah and the message of the Suffering Servant. So Philip preached Jesus to him.
“I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God” was a simple and
straightforward test of his sincerity of faith.
The proof of the authority he placed himself under was his desire
to be baptized. He was not
ashamed to be attached and unified to the Christ.
The
example of Cornelius (Acts 10):
Cornelius was already a devout believer
and his conversion was more of an advancement in religion than a
specific conversion. He was
by birth a Gentile, and by profession a roman soldier.
He was a proselyte to the Jewish faith and believed in, and
worshipped, the One True God. As
he conformed to Jewish worship, so it is evident that his prayers were
addressed to the God of Israel. Acts
10:4 states, “And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said,
"What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and
your alms have come up for a memorial before God.”
Here it may be inferred that he must have been a genuine believer
and a justified man as in the same case of Abraham.
He was justified awaiting the promised Messiah and may be
regarded as a believer. For we know the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination
before God. He simply had
not had the opportunity to believe in the Christ as “come already,”
and this was the task of Peter to explain this to Cornelius and his
household. The centurion
here was in a time of transition from the Jewish to Christian faith.
This would be a move from an imperfect sight of the Messiah
(through types but by faith) to a more perfect sight of Him. He was a Jewish proselyte and from this he became a Christian
convert.
Peter gave Cornelius and his
household a summary of the Gospel, with appropriate evidence to the fact
of Christ’s authority and kingship. He gave them God’s proclamation of peace through the
salvation found in Jesus Christ alone.
The promised Messiah of the Old Testament is this Jesus Christ
that Peter was preaching and that Cornelius believed in.
He was baptized as a result of his faith in Christ, and the text
tells us that he glorified God, he and all his household. The Holy Spirit has transferred Cornelius from Old Testament
faith to the New Testament Christ.
The
example of Lydia (Acts 16:13-15):
The ordinary means by which the Holy Spirit converts sinners (as
we have seen through each of these instances) is through the Word of
God. This is true to a more
detailed experience for Lydia, the Gentile businesswoman from Thyatira. In this narrative Lydia is a beneficiary of the direct,
sovereign operation of the Spirit of God on her heart.
She was attending a prayer meeting when she was enraptured with
the message of Paul. Without
prayer, it should be remembered, we have no reason to expect blessings
from God. The text says
that the Lord opened her heart while Paul was preaching.
This implies her heart was shut against the truth of the Gospel
even though she may have been a devout Jewish proselyte (for why would
she be praying?).
Lydia’s heart was under the
same influence of darkness that every other sinner experienced.
She was among those that are “futile in their thoughts, and
their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:21).”
Her heart was closed until it was opened by the Lord, “whose
heart the Lord opened…” The
Spirit used this narrative to demonstrate the truth that He uses the
instrumentality of the Word to affect the change in a sinner’s heart.
“The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul
(Acts 16:14).” After the
preaching of Paul, God opened her heart and she understood the gospel.
In response to this gospel she was baptized and placed herself
under the authority of Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.
This was her obedience worked out in salvation.
The
example of Timothy (2 Timothy 3:14-15):
The account of Timothy demonstrates the work of the Spirit
throughout the life of a child of the covenant.
He was raised on religious education in early life, and from the
pious care of his parents. From
a child he had known the Old Testament scriptures.
2 Timothy 3:15 says that, “from childhood you have known the
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
His mother was a Jewess and so she taught him the Old Testament
even though his father was a Greek.
The case of Timothy demonstrates three lessons of the work of the
Holy Spirit upon a soul. First,
it shows that little children are capable subjects of divine grace.
We also learn that a sound religious education early in life is
often blessed as a means of saving conversion to God. We also learn that true religion is sometimes implanted in
the soul of a child at a very early age, and continues to grow, bring
forth fruit, and be strengthened even though for a time it may be
unperceivable.
The
example of the conversions at Pentecost (Acts 2):
In this amazing narrative three thousand souls were saved in one
day of preaching. Acts 2:41
states, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and
that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
There were devout religious men there, as well as those who
persecuted the Savior previously and had Him put to death. These were “devout men” from every nation, according to
the narrative. Here we
find, then, a variety of characters assembled from all over the
Dispersion of the Jews gathered before Peter and his sermon.
It is interesting to note that before Peter preached, the
assembly was in fervent prayer in the upper room awaiting the power from
on high. 120 disciples
waited for this by the Lord’s command, and it is usual for revival to
take place after a devout time of extended prayer.
The Spirit descended on them for service after this time of
prayer, and fulfilled the promise of Christ to the disciples at that
moment. The disciples,
then, received the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit for service, and
they were immediately employed upon speaking in other tongues, and
preaching, which generated great concern from the crowd.
Peter then, by this attraction, takes the opportunity to address
this lost crowd, and tell them about Jesus Christ.
So we see that these people experienced three stages here: 1) the
miraculous gift of the Spirit in tongues, 2) a work of conviction in
their hearts, and 3) the work of real conversion through the preaching
of the word. The direct
means to their conversion was Peter’s sermon.
Peter’s sermon demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.
It also demonstrated the guilt of those who put Him to death, and
the sinfulness of men in their rejection of Him.
The Gospel was freely offered to them after Peter’s
exposition of quoted Old Testament texts, and his present application of
the history of Christ just occurring throughout the Jerusalem area with
the Messiah Jesus Christ. They
were “cut to the quick” by the Spirit and inquired as to how they
may be truly saved. This
was done through the internal work of the Spirit on this crowd of
people, which were not all saved. Those
who were saved were baptized with the transitional New Covenant seal –
baptism, and fruit followed their true conversion.
Acts 2:42 says they “continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
They also continued in brotherly love toward one another, having
all things in common voluntarily.
The
example of Revivals (such as in Acts 2:17-18):
Though the church is regularly accustomed to look for slow and
common operations of the spirit through church history, every now and
again the Spirit sovereignly sends revival.
True religion is the product of this revival and solely depends
on the work of the spirit of God in blessing the people of God.
Revival had been seen in the Old Testament such as in the days of
Seth, and of Josiah (Genesis 4:26; 2 kings 23:19ff).
Two things define true revival in religion: 1) a general
impartation of new spiritual life, vigor and power to those who are
already the people of God, and 2) a remarkable awakening and conversion
of souls. Such revivals in the New Testament church surround Pentecost,
the Reformation of the 16th Century, the local revivals of
1623 and 1641 in Ireland and England under James Ussher, in 1630 in
Scotland under John Livingston, in 1638 in Scotland in Glasgow under the
National Covenant, in 1643-48 under the Westminster Assembly, in 1734
under the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, and in
1812 under Reverend M’Bride.
Would we wish that the Spirit would pour out such a revival of
religion again.
Part
3: The Work of the Spirit in the Edification of His People
The
Work of the Spirit as the Spirit of Holiness
The general work of the Spirit resides in two main
classifications in relation to the Church: 1) the regeneration and
salvation of individuals, and 2) the edification of His people in
further growth under the Gospel. This
second part is what we turn to at this point.
Sanctification is the work of the spirit, and its beginning
starts with conversion and grows from that point.
Even after the believer is born again, the work of the Spirit
continues in the progressing and growing sanctification of the soul.
From the new birth there shall be new life.
Christ is emphatic in demonstrating the fruit bearing aspect of
the believer in Matthew 7:16-20, “You will know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can
a bad tree bear good fruit. 19
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. 20
"Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
And likewise He says, “Every branch in Me that does not bear
fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that
it may bear more fruit (John 15:2).”
Such a change comes from a true change of the heart.
Sanctification and the continuance of spiritual life depends upon
the gracious operation of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit.”
Romans 8:9 also says this, “But you are not in the flesh but in
the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone
does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
This operation of the Spirit is by His will operating in us,
“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good
pleasure (Philippians 2:13).”
This walking in the Spirit
maintains a constant conflict with indwelling sin and seeks to crucify
the remnant of remaining sin still in the soul.
Paul says in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one
another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Yet, every motivation of goodness in the believer, and each
motion to good works are done by the Spirit’s power and His action in
motioning the soul to work rightly.
Galatians 5:18 states, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law.”
The
Work of the Spirit as the Spirit of Adoption
The
Spirit of Adoption imparts a reverence and godly fear to God’s
character in the heart to every true believer.
It is a different spirit than that of the world that holds a
spirit of fear towards God as a righteous Judge.
Now, the believer is able to see Him as a loving Father.
Paul explains, “because you are sons, God has sent forth the
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father
(Galatians 4:6)!” This
Spirit of adoption implies a hearty sense of gratitude and a principle
of supreme love to God, such as a child feels towards a forgiving and
affectionate Father. The
Apostle John says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts
out fear (1 John 4:18).” This
spirit also implies a warm brotherly love toward all those who are
members of God’s family. This
is a new affection that springs from a new relationship we have in
Christ which unites converts with others as part of the organic body.
Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved
us.”
This
kind of adoption presses the believer to trust God as their Father for
all things, even the things to come in the future as a child relies on
his parents. It is
committing our trust to His sovereign providence for our good.
Christ says, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father
knows the things you have need of before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8).”
Such a comfort in this way should be building to a full assurance
of faith, though various degrees of comfort may be given to a given
child of God at any given time. Remedy
for fear in providences that surround God’s children in this way is
simply to return to the simple faith that one had the moment they were
converted. The simple trust
that God works all things for our good. Romans 8:28 is clear to this,
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
The
Work of the Spirit as the Spirit of Prayer
The truth of the Old Testament is just as alive in the New
Testament. The spirit of
God aids us in prayer. The
Psalms alone are a wonderful testimony to the prayer of the saints all
through the Old Testament. In
the New Testament promises of the Spirit’s work in prayer come forth
like a mighty rushing wind. Zechariah
12:10 promises, “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they
will look on Me whom they pierced.”
The Holy Spirit helps us to
pray. He does not pray for
us, rather, He moves and motions in us prayers up toward the throne of
grace. Romans 8:26 speaks
directly to this and the Spirit’s operation around this work,
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know
what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
He enables us for prayer in respect to our needs, necessities,
wants, sins, and shortcomings. He
makes known to us the rich provision of His grace to us and demonstrates
to us our privileges in Christ. He
works in us dispositions and desires to pray well in order get the
needful deposits of grace waiting for us at the throne.
He aids us in attaining spiritual graces through prayer for the
service of the ministry. He
even stirs us up against infirmities to prayer (sloth, laziness and
lethargy) by causing us to watch against those hindrances and overcome
them by His grace and through the teachings of the Word of God.
Prayer is a solemn exercise that is engaged in by the use of
spiritual power from the Spirit of God. As Jude 1:20 directs us to be
“praying in the Holy Spirit.” It
is beyond our natural power to accomplish sanctification on our own, and
this demands the exercise and operation of the Spirit’s grace in us
for victory in everyday living.
The
Work of the Spirit as the Comforter
God Himself is the Author of all comfort and communicates comfort
to the believer through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This work of God is given in Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound
in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The early Christians were blessed by this hope and comfort that
comes from God, “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the
comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied (Acts 9:31).”
Such comfort by the Spirit comes by the truth of the Word. Believers are able to feel its power and understand its
importance to their lives personally.
They are taught about the boundless love of Christ for them, that
they are strengthened in the inner man by the Spirit of God, that they
may be rooted and grounded in love gradually through the Christian life
and walk, and that they can truly know how God cares for them in order
to be “filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).”
Such a comfort comes directly by the Spirit’s sanctification
upon their souls, without which, they would never know any of these
things to any great measure past intellectual assent.
It is the Spirit that works them into their hearts and minds.
The Spirit also helps the believer to be assured and comforted by
the reality of his salvation. Ephesians
4:30 tells us, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption.”
Such a sealing is through the Word of God impress upon the heart
and mind. 1 John 4:13 demonstrates that our adopted constitution is
known through His abiding in us and sealing us, “By this we know that
we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
By this adoption, we are made His forever, and the Spirit
indwells all his children for all time.
Amen. |
|
Back to the
Christian Walk
|
